What does it take to make someone decide to erase the most visible symbols of their identity? For Ethan Bramble, the answer is fatherhood. Once a poster figure for extreme body modification under the name ModBoy, Bramble is now engaged in the lengthy and painful process of laser tattoo removal from his face. This shift marks a dramatic new chapter centered on family.
Bramble’s original transformation was a massive undertaking, costing roughly $60,000 and encompassing over 200 tattoos, modified ears, and a split tongue. Yet, holding his daughter changed everything. He speaks of a desire to be seen in a new light, worried that his heavily tattooed face might create unnecessary challenges for his child. His regret is specific; it’s about perception and consequence, not necessarily the tattoos as art.
For the past year, he has committed to laser surgery, treating sections of his face again and again to break down the ink. He admits that living with a fully tattooed face contributed significantly to his anxiety, and the removal is as much about mental peace as it is about physical change. It’s a deliberate, difficult journey toward a different kind of freedom.
Of course, Bramble’s life is layered. His playful online reaction to an arrest warrant shows the same spirited personality that embraced such extreme modifications in the first place. From tongue splitting to eyeball tattoos, his past is undeniably intense. These experiences, however painful, are part of the complex person he is today.
Now, that person is prioritizing the role of dad above all else. Ethan Bramble’s decision to remove his facial tattoos is not a rejection of his past self, but an evolution of it. It’s a powerful, visual commitment to putting his daughter’s future and his own peace of mind first, proving that our stories are never fully written in ink, but in the choices we make for those we love.
